HELP US reach THE NEXT PERSON WHO NEEDS HELP FAST
Seeing your child loaded into a helicopter is terrifying, but the crew were incredible with both of us
– Mike, Destiny’s Dad
MY story BY DESTINY WHITBREAD
The August Bank Holiday in 2025 was supposed to be a carefree morning for 10‑year‑old Destiny, as she headed to the local basketball court on her bike with a friend. But in an instant, everything changed.
As Destiny looped around the court, she took a corner too sharply. Her bike skidded, the tyres slipping out from under her, and before she could react, she was thrown to the ground. A sharp cry echoed across the park as dog walkers rushed towards her…
Despite the shock and intense pain, Destiny managed to call her dad.
Mike arrived within minutes to find that the handlebar of her bike was embedded in her leg.
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I could see the pain all over her face
Mike recalls. A paramedic conducted a Facetime assessment, and soon after flashing blue lights filled the park as the emergency crews arrived. Then came the unmistakable thrum of rotor blades overhead – the air ambulance was landing. For Mike, watching the helicopter touch down beside his injured daughter was overwhelming.
“Seeing your child loaded into a helicopter is terrifying” he says. “But the crew were incredible with both of us”.
Critical Care Paramedic, Karl Bexon, administered pain relief before carefully removing the embedded handlebar. The crew stabilised her and prepared her for flight. Within minutes, Destiny was airborne, heading for Nottingham Queen’s Medical Centre – a journey that took just 14 minutes.
Destiny spent three nights in hospital before being discharged with crutches and a physiotherapy plan. In the weeks that followed, she needed a skin graft to repair the wound.
Today, Destiny is back at school, laughing with her friends, riding her bike, and being her usual bubbly, energetic self. She and her dad often talk about the day everything changed – and the people who made sure the outcome was a positive one.
“They were there when she needed help most” Mike says.
“We’ll always be grateful”.
If you can, please support our latest appeal by making a donation or setting up a regular gift today, so that we can help more patients like Destiny.
HELP US REACH THE NEXT PERSON WHO NEEDS urgent help
I’m Paul, Critical Care Paramedic. Thanks to supporters like you, we’ve been able to complete over 60,000 lifesaving missions – one of which was young Destiny Whitbread.
On 25 August 2025, we were deployed to her accident due to the seriousness of her injuries. After providing pain relief and removing the handlebar from her leg, we flew her to Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham, in just 14 minutes.
After treatment and recovery, Destiny returned to school to discover that her classmates had raised £235 for the charity who helped her.
There is nothing more precious than the gift of life, so if you can, please consider supporting our latest appeal so that we can reach more patients who need us across Warwickshire, Northamptonshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland this Summer.
Your donation today will help us reach more people in life‑threatening emergencies – saving lives and keeping families together.